ZAPOTE - Maya Archaeology

Dining ❬ antiguaand the Petén area, where it is occasionallyan abundant tree in the forest. The principalproducts of these trees are the fruit; thelatex, which is used as the basis of naturalchewing gum; and the wood, which isused for construction. Another importantattribute is its medicinal properties, said toalleviate dysentery and diarrhea.You can see several types of zapote fruittrees at Frutas del Mundo, a remarkableorchard of diversity organized by DwightCarter. You can visit Frutas del Mundo innearby villages by contacting Kevin Lock, apopular guide in the Río Dulce area.One of FLAAR’s principal interests isnutrition in Guatemala. This is why we arenow collecting pertinent information relatedto the eating habits of Maya people, and allthe plants they used and how they used themfor food. We do not intend to commercializethese plants ourselves. FLAAR Mesoamerica,just like other NGOs and governmentprograms, is aware of the nutritionalproblem Guatemala faces and our intentionis to help by teaching people which plants toreintroduce into their house-side gardens andwhich fruits to provide to their children.To familiarize yourself with images of thedifferent zapote fruits, you can also perusethe full-color photographic essays on varioustropical Maya fruits and vegetables and nutson our www.maya-ethnobotany.org.61